[Note: I am trying to minimize current retail purchases in favor of drinking down recently acquired stock, much of that California winery direct. As well as begin to pull things from storage which deserve separation of glass from cork (or something like that). Easy enough to do as I work where my wine is. So, apologize for the homogeneous nature of things, perhaps one day my sampling of wine will reach a broader spectrum again. Particularly as at retail I almost never buy domestic wine.]
2017 Arnot-Roberts Syrah, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast, Que Syrah Vineyard ($70.00, 12.7%). Looks “serious,” crimson flecked purple core, dark scarlet rims, clear albeit left a lot of crud in the neck, shoulder clean. Lifted nose of floral dew, green olives, pork cracklings, tar and red currant, cranberry scents, power and finesses at once. In the mouth it’s medium-bodied, the tannin grippy yet not so drying as to impede flow. One could easily attribute this to the energetic acidity. The fruit has a very sweet core, shading bluer. That said, the remainder makes this anything but a sweet wine. More tarry earth, grapefruit, tapenade, grill fat. Pungent inner mouth perfume. Leaves the palate refreshed even as the flavors linger and linger. This is one excellent wine.
2023 Bedrock Sonoma Valley, Old Hill Ranch Heritage ($52.00, 14.5%). Dark violet to cranberry red hues, no meaningful glow to it, flushed rims, clean. Twigs and leaves, sandy dirt, pulped oranges, kindling smoke sneak into the nose before the mixed berry fruit cannonball in, nothing sloppy here but smells like it is already open for business. Medium-bodied, close to tautly muscular, credible tannin. Yet, here too, it comes across as uncharacteristically ready to pound. Vanilla, whipped cream swipes soften it further. Pine scrub, more campfire smoke and a general “outdoorsy” quality. Highly pleasurable wine, not sure it’s sip it blindly and go “Ohh, that’s Old Hill!”. But what the hell do I know. Unspecified percentages of Zinfandel, Grenache, Petite Sirah, Syrah, Alicante Bouschet, Mollard, Etraire de la Dui, Persan, others.
2023 Bedrock Zinfandel, Russian River Valley, Carlisle Vineyard ($48.00, 14.8%). Dark purple core, opaque, broad magenta rims softly glowing, spotless, looks “fat.” Berrylicious nose, drips with fruit, tends to overpower the citrus peel, grill smoke aspects, nothing unduly oaky, gains better tension after being open for awhile, not bombastic. Close to but not quite full-bodied, especially as it tapers off towards the end. Stays on point without seeming monochromatic. Here too the fruit the clear star, not very sweet, more juicy. Sort of primary by default. Garden herbs, orange peel, some caramel sneaks in. Maybe a little tannic, maybe. In the final analysis strikes me as unevolved while at the same time providing no hints at potential development. have one bottle laid down so hope to find out.
2023 Bedrock Zinfandel, Napa Valley, Mount Veeder, Sky Vineyard. ($58.00, 14.5%). Semi-flat basic violet to ruby in hue, no cloudiness but has a “staring into the sun” gauze, youthful. Not much of a nose to speak of, tea leaf to sand to charcoal before any blackberry, cherry, currant fruit gets a word in edgewise, eventually develops a piney mountain scrub element, not clenched as much as taciturn. Medium-bodied, seems to want to reach for fuller body but the structure pulls it down below the surface. Dry, takes a good amount of time to come around to something you can penetrate. Fruit seems fine, yet it’s all about rocks, poor dirt, sand and most anything hard and impervious. No choice but to reserve judgment. To me much more like the 2021 than the 2022.
2023 Bedrock Zinfandel, Contra Costa County, Evangelho Vineyard ($39.00, 14.5%). Light ruby-violet, very clean, has the color but not the glow. Sand to shale accent to the nose, boysenberry, blackberry fruit scents, mountain scrub, not hollow but feels like an exoskeleton rather than flesh. Medium-bodied, nice fluidity and forward progression. Would consider it as having more acidity than tannin, neither substantial. Smoky, more of that poor sandy earth. Fruit shading redder here. Tightens up a little at the finish. Not entirely convinced it needs a lot of time in the cellar but 2-3 years might find it fleshing out some. Satisfactory.
2018 Harrington California, “Tempesta” ($30.00, 13.2%). Light ruby color, looks to be washing out into more orange hues, mild gauziness, weak rims. The nose offers traces of dried mud, fallen leaves, tar, this yielding to prettier strawberry, raspberry scents, some baking spices, comes across to me as “hollow.” Medium-bodied with a “stick to your ribs” texture, adheres itself to every mouth pore. Sweet tea leaf, tar, potpourri line the mouth entry. Momentary bitterness before the candied red berry, pomegranate fruit takes hold. The texture really helps it hold together. Not a sipping wine, food fills in the holes. I’d rank this before 2017 and a little behind the 2016 version. 64% Corvina, 36% Pinot Noir. (Composite Cork)
2020 Prima Materia Nebbiolo, Lake County, Kelsey Bench ($40.00, 14.2%). Light gauzy quality to the scarlet red coloration, rims lighten but wouldn’t call them diminished. Meaty nose of pressed flowers, leather, tar and old orange rinds, the fruit scents generally red but close to blacker than personally expected. Medium-bodied, dry and blunt. That said, the tannin more blanketing than of savage intent. Kind of muffles things. Solid blackberry, raspberry, black cherry fruit, gets to the end without issue. Not much acidity, should one expect. Kindling smoke, orange peel, general spice. Not getting a clear oak presence. Sticky enough for a long finish. Likable, I’d consume it over the next 3-4 years. (Composite Cork)
2018 Sandlands Contra Costa County, “Red Table Wine” ($28.00, 12.8%). Clear but not light, the ruby-violet coloration fresh as new, plush throughout. The fruit dense enough to not unwind, cranberry, rhubarb, blueberry scents, sandy accents (power of suggestion), tar and tree bark, over time white citrus pops in to say hi. Medium-bodied and maybe a little less, sour with a touch of volatility. Acidity has kick and it is energetic from the first sip on. Fruit holding on while in no way “fruity.” Curious note of molasses. Pressed flowers, grapefruit pulp. Not a smooth ride, at times angular. Showing modest upward trajectory from the previous bottles sampled October 2022. Still, no sense in waiting. 55% Carignane, 45% Mataro.
2015 Bedrock Sonoma Valley, Weill a Way Vineyard, “Mixed Blacks” ($38.00, 14.8%). Just about opaque black, thinnish dried blood red rims, good surface shine. The nose is very reductive, peanut shells, merde, mud, to the point you don’t really want to sniff again, behind the wall of funk lies some well ripened black and blue fruits. Full-bodied, fleshy, here it is only moderately better. The sheer power of the fruit evens the scales. Alas, the finish it’s a bowl full of prunes. More plastic than merde. Decanted to try and save the day. Any change just the power of hope. I didn’t sample this on release, just threw the one bottle immediately into storage. Assume it was a big boy in its youth. Not sure what happened here, a disappointment. Unspecified percentages of Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, Alicante Bouschet, Grenache, Tempranillo, Mourvèdre.
2016 Harrington Nebbiolo, San Luis Obispo County, Paso Robles, Luna Matta Vineyard ($35.00, 13.5%). Has a youthful bricking to sunset reds and oranges, surface shine adds to the bouncy, bright appearance. The muddy, rain soaked leather notes wrestle with the candied cherry start to finish in the nose, there’s a medicinal to witch hazel element which destabilizes things, slowly licorice and fennel notes come out, not really harmonizing. Medium-bodied, decidedly bottom heavy, the tannin isn’t arch, instead way deadening. Contributes to a hollow mid-palate. The red fruit about where it should be, no complaints. Minimal in reserve to pretty it up, spoonful of old potpourri and anise seed. Weird experience to me, I didn’t care for this on release in 2019 and don’t particularly care for it now. But for more or less different reasons. Life is a funny game.
2023 Barnstormer Vineyards Riesling, Finger Lakes, “Bubbly Dry” ($21.00, 12.0%). Pours a bright white form with little retention, shiny light yellow liquid, frizzante. Nose evokes dryness, strong rubber, oil slick component followed on by lemon meringue, whipped cream and soft peach, apricot scents, succinct dissolve. Big tingle during the mouth entry, adds volume. It is indeed quite dry. Not that acidic but certainly more than enough. Here the fruit isn’t as round and ends on the bitter side. Based on appearances this would be intended for casual deck sipping or the like but it’s not quite that innocuously agreeable. Grapes sourced 58% Hosmer Vineyard, 34% Lahoma Vineyard, 8% Home Farm Vineyard. (Screwcap)
2023 Dr. Konstantin Frank Gewürztraminer, Finger Lakes ($18.99, 12.0%). Light white to yellow straw, more pooling than shiny, clean throughout, suits the purpose. The nose comes off as tight, floral fine enough, suggestion of litchee at best, apricot to pear fruit scents, lightly honeyed, doesn’t linger long. Medium-bodied and bottom heavy for that, clings to the tongue for dear life. As a result, little sense of movement past the attack. Brush of tangerine and more bitter herbs. That litchee momentarily perks up the orchard fruit. Given that it’s hard not to peg it, recognizably Gewürztraminer. Either intentionally or not, isn’t in the “generous style” of the variety. Which, frankly, I prefer. (Screwcap)
2012 Bernard Gripa Syrah, Rhône, Saint-Joseph, “Le Berceau” ($54.99, 13.5%). Very clear liquid yet the core is pretty much pure black, red clay to full on brick rims, somehow manages to not look that aged. Saline, olive pit, rawhide introduce you to the nose, substantial cherry, blackberry fruit, not all that evolved, leans on a polished assurance for effect. Medium-bodied, moderate acidity but not picking up anything close to a tannic spine. So, again, the word “polish” comes to mind. More floral here with citrus blossom tones. Less olive and anything vaguely sauvage. This is a highly enjoyable wine, about as glou-glou as the category gets. But if you waited almost nine years awaiting development you’d be justified with some qualms. One more bottle left, no rush on it but expect repeat experience.
2023 Weingut Carl Loewen Riesling, Mosel Saar Ruwer, Longuicher Herrenberg, Kabinett AP #14 ($27.99, 9.0%). Glowing pale yellow gold, tiny green glints, not much shine, that was expected. Crisp nose which leans on apple, pear, apricot fruit to achieve erectness, lemon zest and stone dust, not much by way of rubber or gas notes, unvarnished and clean. Medium-bodied, just, the acidity helps it carve out a dapper profile. Sweet attack, focused on tangerine, lime citrus. The apple-driven fruit buzzes with verve. Slate with a suggestion of earthiness. Tightens slowly through the finish. A wine very much in control of itself. I wouldn’t expect crazy tertiary development but it should hold in this state indefinitely. (Composite Cork: Diam10)
